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SG's Are Underappreciated!....Or, Are They??!


charlie brown

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SG's seem to be underappreciated! Or, Are They??? There certainly seems a LOT less

traffic, and discussion, on the SG form, here, than the Les Paul Forum, for one example.

Now...I LOVE "Les Paul's!" Always have, always will! But...the first time I picked up

my (first) SG, back in the mid '60's, it was LOVE at First Play! Weight, those lovely

bevels (back, when they were nice and wide, and deeper...at the horns), the slightly

"Devilish" look, of the horns, themselves. It all screamed "Rock & Roll!" And, the tone...

though a bit different than a Les Paul, was still SWEET!!

 

So, what IS IT?! Some complain about "neck heavy" and "unbalanced." It's odd, though, I've

never owned an SG that was like that! I've played some, but I wouldn't have purchased one!

I found examples, that were well balanced, before I spent my money. So, it can't be JUST

that, can it?!

 

Let me/us hear from you SG lovers, and detractors, alike. What is it, and why?! [biggrin]

 

 

CB

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Best guitar I've ever played, no contest so far. I'm with you about the lack of posts here, there should be a few pinned topics too i.e Standard owners thread, or Special owners club or something along those lines. Vintage SG's would be a good idea too. I guess overall I'm in love with the SG whether it be Gibson, or Epiphone - I don't even mind some efforts that other companies have made, that have taken the SG look on board either. I would really love it if Epiphone would do an SG Ukuele, like they did with the LP a while back. Rambling on now...in my own world...

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I think SG's are well-represented. Just look at the caliber of players out there that play them!

 

As for attention and appreciation here at the forums? I can't really say. I am here in the SG area pretty much exclusively when it comes to guitar chat, so I don't notice the activity of the other models.

 

I work for Guitar Center, so I am surrounded by guitarists and musicians in general. I have my new 50's Tribute with me today, and one of the guys down the hall was passing by as I was getting ready to head over to play with some other fellow employee. When I opened the case to show him, his eyes nearly popped out of his head! I let him play it for a minute, and he told me the SG is THE GUITAR he wants! I was like, "Get one man!".

 

SG's are loved, for sure.

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My four SG guitars and both of my SG bass guitars all are more or less neck heavy. I keep it under control it with appropriate neck straps. The only thing I really fret about are the typical dull notes on all-mahogany SG guitars with stop tailpiece like my 1978 Std.

 

If I ever had a custom SG built, I would have the upper strap knob mounted on the back of the upper horn. So there would be something less in my left thumb's way compared to a Les Paul Axcess.

 

As for the topic title, do people perhaps post somewhat less into the SG forum because there simply is less trouble with SGs than with Les Pauls? So does it really mean that they are underappreciated? At least I personally experienced less trouble with SGs when remembering SGs and Les Pauls I checked out or got to know through pals over the years. OK, the SG's design and build may be somehow simple compared to that of the Les Paul, but the average SG seems better crafted to me than the average Les Paul since many years.

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Even with their slight differences, in tone...I've been fooled, before.

Mick Abrahams (Early Jethro Tull, Blodwyn Pig), had what I thought, before

I'd seen him, back in the day, to be a nice "Les Paul" tone! LOL Well...

it was an SG!! "Special" I think, but he had a SG Standard, too. Now

uses a "Vintage" (English comany) brand, SG Special.

 

http://www.squirrelmusic.com/

 

 

CB

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I own both the les Paul and sg. my favorite of them is by far my sg special. I like the neck and the weight and the tone and the balance. I hardly ever play my sg standard. It is also a very nice guitar I probably play it more than my les Paul. I don't play that les Paul at all. But its pretty so I think ill keep it lol. there have been a lot of extremely great guitar players that started playing the sg or are still playing an sg. But you may be right. Are there any newer guitarist out there playing the SG?

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Personal opinion is that, in the modern rock world, the Les Paul seems to be the first choice for guitarists wishing to buy in to the undoubted history and major player 'mojo' the LP is imbued with...

 

The shape resonates further back to the 'archtop' era in the early 40's

 

And the mass of wood makes for a heavier tone and sustain to some ears

 

However, the SG has subtle advantages for those so inclined...IMO easier handling, weight, ergonomics and great tones and looks to boot...

 

And as previously mentioned, plenty of players love the SG to bits... [thumbup]

 

V

 

:-({|=

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I love LPs, but as the time goes on, with a 'broken back', I had to change over to

SGs as my main tool, I am still dealing with the transition, I still go through a lot

of pain because I can't help playing my LP, but very often I find myself trying to

change pickups in the wrong place, in the wrong guitar.

 

The LP packs a remarkable punch, the SG too, but it has a 'darker', or 'deeper', 'sinister',

thing to it that attracts many of the best musicians.

Besides the great sounds, I love its ergonomics, both for playing up and sitting, and mine

wheights just a tiny bit over 6 pounds/3kgs, doesn't hurts my back, I have many times caught

myself up to sunrise effortlessly (5+hrs straight).

 

The thing, before you get an SG, I would recommend you to study well its models, what kind of

pickups you want it to have, do you like better mounts or a batwing pickguard? Its a lot of

little things to choose. If you're going to buy a SG with P90s or mini HBs, be sure you like

them, so you won't have to re-route it, which is a *****.

I am still to see an SG with a humbucker on the bridge and a P90 on the neck, that could be

a nice combo though. Just thinking.

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Great subject CB. I'm mainly an LP guy and I love my 335's but SG's are just so fun to play! IMHO. They sound great, play great and have access to the whole neck. I also like the overall look. My older SG I had was nice but I sold it and got an ebony one at the beginning of the year and the 2013 models have much more detail IMHO. the curves and contours seem more flowing and smooth and I LOVE 57 classics that are in the 2013 models. Then I came across the SG Original with that vibrola and I just went for it.

 

I think they're still represented well. It's Derek Trucks main guitar. [thumbup]

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Shhhhhhhhhhhhh will you guys keep it down, your going to make so much noise that all those LP guys will realize that they're pay'n twice as much for their LP's and will start buy'n up all our SG.

 

 

You got it!! [laugh]

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For me the sg is the best and coolest guitar. But i noticed when i got a Les Paul on my wall at home friends came with compliments how nice they thought it was. Haven't heard to much with my sg's. It was in fact almost a bit irritating [biggrin]

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Its hard to believe that the amount of wood changes the tone so much. they are made of the same wood aren't they. My les Paul and Sg both have the blue caps and same kind of wiring. what other differences can you guys think of? Other than pups.

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Well, Les Paul's definitely have a wider appeal, to the "uninitiated." And,

they are EVERYWHERE...much like the Fender Strat, in that regard. Also...

they ARE great looking, sounding, and playing, guitars...no doubt about it!

I love all the LP's I have. But, I have to say, SG's...Oh, I don't know...

there's just something about them!!! [biggrin] The great feel, weight, tone,

UPPER FRET ACCESS (lol), and those "Devilish" good looks, that's impossible

(for me) NOT to love!! I mean...just look at them! [biggrin]

 

DSC_0779.jpg

 

What's not to love?! [love][drool]

 

CB

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Well, Les Paul's definitely have a wider appeal, to the "uninitiated." And,

they are EVERYWHERE...much like the Fender Strat, in that regard. Also...

they ARE great looking, sounding, and playing, guitars...no doubt about it!

I love all the LP's I have. But, I have to say, SG's...Oh, I don't know...

there's just something about them!!! [biggrin] The great feel, weight, tone,

UPPER FRET ACCESS (lol), and those "Devilish" good looks, that's impossible

(for me) NOT to love!! I mean...just look at them! [biggrin]

 

DSC_0779.jpg

 

What's not to love?! [love][drool]

 

CB

 

Those are gorgeous! The one with the bar, does that have an ebony board??? [drool] I still say the reason people like SG's so much is because they are so fun to play.

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